Unravelling The Unknown Weasley
by tootsieXpopXdiscovery
Summary: "Hermione watched his retreating back utterly confused. Charlie Weasley sure was a mystery, and he was a mystery that Hermione set her heart on unravelling." Post DH, disregarding epilogue. It all started with a bonfire and a quickly mood changing Charlie


**A/N: I haven't written fanfiction in quite a long time but I have recently started reading it again and the addiction as resurfaced. And so here I am, writing my first ever Hermione and Charlie fanfiction! It is also going to be a chapter story! I don't have it planned but I'm hoping that the plot bunny can stay with me for a while so I can see where this goes! Enjoy!**

**PS- I missed my readers **

**Disclaimer: As much as I hate to admit it, Harry Potter does not belong to me :(**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Coal Gazing with Charlie Weasley<strong>

Hermione sighed deeply and glanced around the circle at the smiling faces lit by the orange glow of the fire. Although the final battle had been months previous, the casualties of the war were still fresh in the minds of the survivors.

Hermione hadn't really known what she had expected. Part of her had hoped that after Voldemort's downfall everything would be wonderful. She wanted to believe that celebration would occur and for once, since her arrival at Hogwarts, things would be normal. However, she knew that her expectations were childish and desperately needed a harsh dose of reality.

After Voldemort's death, a feeling of relief had washed over those left, however no one celebrated due to the heavy weight everyone had in their hearts for the dear loved ones that were lost in the battle. Funeral after funeral, life didn't seem to have improved since the defeat. The past months had been full of mourning and rangling up the remaining followers of the Dark Lord.

And for the first time Hermione felt calm. She felt that everything truly was over. In late August it seemed that the war was far behind them all. Hermione, Harry, and the Weasley children gathered around a bonfire in the backyard of the Burrow. Hermione looked around the circle again after reflecting on the past few months. To her right sat Ron, her best friend. After the overlooming feeling of fear caused by the war wore off, Ron and Hermione had realized that they had been caught up in the moment. The feelings that they had felt had been nothing more than a strong friendship and the need to cling to someone for comfort. She was more than happy to continue their relationship as bestfriends and put their hasty kiss behind them.

Next to Ron sat an empty chair in which the eldest Weasley son had sat while Fleur chatted with Mrs. Weasley inside before they left to take Teddy along with them for a sleepover with Victoire. Percy was next in the circle. It was odd to see Percy with the rest of the family again. He had loosened up quite a bit and he tried very hard to fit into the family. Hermione smiled as she watched Percy laugh as Ron told him a story, his huge hands gesturing wildly in the air.

Directly across from Hermione, Charlie stared into the fire, his face wasn't distraught but rather perplexed. He was the Weasley Hermione knew least about, being in Romania most of her Hogwarts years. He had come back to England for Fred's funeral and decided to stay with his family for a while until they were back on their feet.

Fred. Hermione's head swiveled to the chair next to Charlie. George hadn't been the same since the death of his twin, it was rather unsettling. Hermione had no one to scold around the burrow for immature pranks, no loud explosions for her to roll her eyes at, and no set of identical voices picking on her inability to stop being a know-it-all. Her face softened as she took in George's laughing features. It was the happiest Hermione had seen him since the battle. He was apparently listing to Ron's story and throwing in a few of his witty pokes at Ron's intelligence level.

To his right sat a red-headed girl. Ginny was quietly talking to the raven haired boy seated next to her, their hands tightly intertwined on her lap. Harry Potter, her best friend, the boy who lived. Hermione sighed. He had been through so much and she was so happy to see him be a normal boy. He was so much more jovial and relaxed without the fear of Voldemort lurking around every corner.

"Hermione? Hermione, are you coming or not?"

Hermione snapped her head up, shaking herself out of her thoughts. She looked at Ron quizzically.

"Skinny dipping in the lake! Come on! It's dark, no one will see." She then realized the mostly every one was standing and looking at her questioningly.

"No, no I think I'll pass." Ron just sighed at her response and rolled his eyes.

"Well come on, let's go! Last one in is a rotten egg!" Ginny bellowed and started running toward the lake, ripping her shirt off as she went. Harry gave a hearty laugh and sprinted after the red-headed seventeen year old clad in shorts and a bra.

"Oi Ginny! We didn't say that you could strip! Put your clothes back on!" Ron yelled and rushed after the two lovebirds angrily, followed by a gagging Percy and a red-faced George.

"Harry Potter, don't you dare touch our little sister!" George called angrily.

Hermione watched the figures shrink in size as they grew closer to the lake. She let out an audible sigh, one that was neither happy nor sad, before she looked across the fire and realized with a start that she was not alone. Charlie Weasley gazed at the orange flames as they danced and licked the air. His eyes did not blink or glance up at the sighing girl. Hermione looked into the fire as well, wishing to see what Charlie seemed to see.

The silence wasn't awkward, it was comfortable, comfortable silences seemed rare to Hermione. She stared into the golden flames and took a deep breath. In the distance she could hear the others laughing and splashing around in the lake. She could feel the warmth of the fire gently kiss her face and knees while a cool breeze nipped at her back. Slowly her eyelids fluttered closed and her long dark lashes cast spider-like shadows on her cream colored cheeks. Her whole body seemed to relax, her tense muscles unclenched. She thought about the night. The joy in the air and the smiles etched on every single face. She thought about the way every single laugh had a different ring. She breathed in the scent of the fire in the slightly humid August air. She wanted to remember everything. She never wanted to forget the feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her that everything was okay. She never wanted to forget the first day of a new life.

With a small smile gracing the corners of her lips, Hermione opened her eyes and was surprised to see bright blue eyes staring directly into her brown ones, curiosity written clearly all over the freckled faced on which the eyes rested. He chuckled quietly at her obviously startled expression. She smiled back and decided that perhaps that moment would be the most oportune moment to get to know the Weasley she knew so little about.

"Why didn't you go with them?" She cocked her head in the direction of the fits of laughter and screams as if her question could have some other possible meaning. She mentally slapped herself, it really wasn't the best conversation starter.

"Didn't feel like it." He stated bluntly and leaned forward, his elbow rested on his knee and he placed his head in his hand after swiftly brushing his bright hair away from his eyes. "Why didn't you?"

Hermione seemed unable to break the gaze between herself and twenty-five year old across from her. "Same." She fidgeted nervously and he squinted through the dark night to study her. The way he scanned her face and her delicate fingers pulling on the hem of her shirt made her feel uneasy. Her one word response killed the conversation and she just ducked her head out of embarassment. She really didn't know why her face was suddenly becoming the color of Charlie's hair. Maybe it was due to the fact that the man across from her seemed to be able to see through her lie, or maybe it was the fact that he looked as if he knew she was mentally scolding herself for ending the conversation, perhaps it wasn't that intricate and it solely had to do with the fact that the handsome older man was gazing at her with a complicated expression plastered on his face.

The silence enveloped them once more. Hermione noticed that the fire had died down quite a lot. Only dimly lit coals sparkled in the center of the circle. After a few moments Hermione opened her mouth to speak and silently hoped that she wouldn't make a fool of herself. "If you blur your vision and look at the coals it kind of resembles the night sky." She looked away from the fire and into Charlie's eyes. His expression did not change from the nuetral one that had been occupying it. He broke the eye contact and stared at the coals.

Suddenly a pleasant laugh greeted Hermione's ears. "It really does!" Charlie exclaimed and continued laughing. It was getting more and more difficult to make out his features in the growing darkness, but she could see the laughter sparkling in his eyes. Then she felt it. A tickle in her throat, slowly creeping up. Hermione doubled over in laughter. It seemed contagious, they couldn't stop. Hermione couldn't find the humor in her statement beforehand but once Charlie started laughing she couldn't help it. Together they hooted until their laughter subsided to soft chuckles and light giggles.

Hermione clutched her stomach. She hadn't laughed that hard in quite a while. She looked at the shadowy figure and he stood. "It's getting late. Walk you to your room?" Hermione was taken aback but nodded slowly. She then realized that he probably couldn't see her and she stood to make her response clear.

Together they strolled toward the house, their footsteps muffling out the quiet distant laughs of the others. They didn't talk, instead they slipped back into that comfortable silence. She stole a glance at the man to her right. His red hair was long but nowhere near as long as Bill's. He wasn't as tall as Ron, but built rather like the twins. He had broad shoulders and Hermione imagined a well musceled chest to match his strong arms. She managed to spot a few scars from burns and scratches from the dragons, and where there weren't scars, there were freckles.

True to his word, Charlie walked Hermione to Ginny's room, where she had been staying since the war had ended. She turned in front of the door to look at the red head. The awkward feeling was almost tangible. She didn't know Charlie at all, she hadn't had one good conversation with him in her life time, how was she meant to say goodnight to him? If it was any other Weasley she would give them a friendly hug or at least have something witty and amusing to say before calling goodnight over her shoulder.

"Night," Hermione mumbled and quickly reached for the doorknob behind her. She missed it twice before hastly turning around and firmly grasping it and flinging the door open. Charlie burst into laughter for the second time that night. Hermione swiftly turned to glare at his contorted face as he bent over laughing at her. After hearing her huff he looked up and immediately sobered up.

He gazed intensely into her eyes, his face serious. Before she could blink his face transformed into a boyish grin and he poked her nose. "Thanks Hermione, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Good night!" And with that he bounded down the hall. Hermione watched his retreating back utterly confused. Charlie Weasley sure was a mystery, and he was a mystery that Hermione set her heart on unraveling.

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><p><strong>AN: Chapter 1 complete! :) So now what? Any ****ideas? I sure could use them!**

**Please review! **


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